Bluebird on Frozen Watercolor and Happy New Year!

HI! I did have a wonderful Christmas, and I hope you did too. I've had some problems with my website,which has been frustrating. I don't know how to do a website and it was gone..so it was just a stirring mess for awhile which is much better now.Advice-- make sure you have all your information!! the numbers you need to have- to find it... I thought I did but did not...

Here is a new little bluebird I painted  yesterday. I was tickled with the background. The blues on the edge of the wash formed into the ice crystals. Here's how== Clear water on your watercolor paper, then drop the color onto the wash, then place it outside to ice up, and here I did it at the edges. I'm going to experiment with this edging ice today as the temperature is supposed to drop into the teens,perfect for placing your watercolor washes outside to freeze. We do have some strong winds so it may be a challenge. ha ha.. If you try it let me know how it goes!! We've had some snow,just a touch. Here on the Shore we don't get huge amounts so it's always exciting to see Snow!

I hope each of you is staying toasty warm, painting, and enjoying your New Year!! love to you,Diana
Yes, Sadie,my dear puppy, loved the snow, but not the wind so much. We lost 2 lob lolly pines on the edge of the yard last night.

Freeze Your Watercolor Washes!!!

HI! I finished the monarch butterfly, I've put it in it's mat and 3 others. I'll frame them tomorrow.. I'm putting it off can you tell? ha ha.. It's cold here 35 now at 5pm.. If the temperature goes into the 20's remember to try the frozen washes!! They are so beautiful.  You lay clear water on your paper.. then add color, just make it medium to dark so the crystals will show up.  Then put this on your porch,door step.. outside. Wait at least 2 hours and bring it in. Can you see the ice crystals.. It's amazing!! Allow this to dry ---no hair dryers.. and you have a great new idea for a background.. I love to do this. Hope you will try it and let me know how you did!!! Here are a couple of sketches I did the other night while John was watching tv.. notice he's asleep... ha ha.. and of course Sadie.. She is tired now.She's been very active in the house because I don't want to stand outside for any length of time.   So it's time to find photos and eat them off the refrigerator, things from the bookshelf that she can reach, that's my girl.
Stay warm and love to you,Diana

Silly Moo

This is one of my frozen washes. I just had to paint today and  I love cows and mine always seem to turn out blue. Can't say why.. they just do. Hope you are having a great Monday!! Yesterday John and I delivered the paintings to the D'Art center in Norfolk,Va. We had a nice time. Had dinner at Uno's and had their wonderful deep dish pizza. Oooh it was good. What are you painting today?? love,Diana 

Frozen Chicken and Getting Ready For Art Show

HI, This has been a week of cold,snowy weather. We got snow yesterday too. I've had lots of chances to freeze my watercolor washes and it's done beautifully. Captured many ice crystals. They are so very beautiful. I was painting today on "Frozen Chicken"--you knew that was coming! Ha ha.. where I used a painting of the frozen washes to paint a frosty rooster! That is the top painting! The other paintings, From My Garden(the canna and monarch), Papa's Piglets, Angry Chicken, Homegrown Peppers, and Backyard Visitor are all going to be in the show"Ocean,Land,and Bay=ESVA" where about 20 of our Eastern Shore artists will be showing our work at D'Art center in Norfolk,Va.  I was hoping the titles would portray the Land connection to the paintings..Tell me what you think! or if you have any suggestions for titles please tell me.. Will be delivering them soon. John's going with me so we'll get to eat out too.. I hope.

Oooh Puppy news!!! Kendra sent me a photo of Sarah ( the mother to be Labrador).. She's so plump.. and so very beautiful!!!

Stay warm and dry, love to you ,Diana 

Frozen Washes and Puppy Coming!!

Exciting news.. Which first the washes or the puppy.???Washes ---Last night it was in the 20'sF here so after 8pm I was doing washes and putting them on my plastic table out in the back porch. I knew they were freezing and a few hours later about 11 I went out and got them. They did a beautiful job capturing the ice. See.. that's what the first photo is... I hope you can see the faint crystals.. just in places but I'm happy with it. This morning I did another batch and they are drying inside now.  I see we don't want to leave pools of water on the paper.. that won't work..so I'll remember for my next batch.  After these dry I will hang them up and later determine what they'll be.

And probably the most exciting news!!! Sarah is most probably pregnant. The yellow lab at www.shorefinelabs.com. I talked to Kendra last night and she said it looks like she's 3 weeks pregnant.. so lucky you --you get to hear me ramble on about this-(Forgive Me :)--. I'm so excited. We will be getting a little yellow lab puppy.You know how I miss my Daisy so very much and the new puppy won't be her but will be a loving precious companion!!! Talk to you soon, Diana

Frozen Wash in Watercolor

hi, this painting is my white poinsettia. What is so different about this is in the bottom left hand side look closely and you will see ice crystals.. Yes, isn't that exciting. I did my wash, clear water then color and took the painting outside and left it on the table in my porch. The temperature was below 32 degrees F. that night. When I brought it in there were ice crystals where the wash had frozen, so very delicate, so very precious. Now it doesn't work all the time but when it does.. ah gorgeous. So this is my icy tip for you!! talk to you soon, Diana